The Top Ten on Ebay from 11/7/04 to 11/17/04
The top Ten highest priced Harbour Lights are:
1. Cape Hatteras $316
It comes in its original box, has never been displayed. The box does not have a label on it and it is made in Malaysia. The edition number is 4655.
This is definitely on the low side. Probably the biggest thing that brought the price down was that the seller shows a standard Harbour Light picture of the Cape Hatteras GLOW.
He then added a note below stating he inadvertently used the wrong picture for the lighthouse. To late, mistakes like this puts doubt in bidders minds. When it comes to rare and expensive Harbour Lights actual pictures are a must.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6129068406&rd=1 2. 5th Order Fresnel Lens #631 $275.17
The 5th Order Fresnel Lens is the Thomas point of the new millennia. The difference is that the 631 will keep its secondary value and stay a good investment and not fall in value like the Thomas Point.
The reasons are:
1.There are very few Frenel lens produce each year. This keeps the collectors interested in getting them all and keeping the 5th Order in demand.
2.It is doubtful that there will ever be an open edition Fresnel lens. There are plenty of popular lenses to make at the average rate of two a year.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6130709677&rd=1 3. New point Loma $259
This has a greenbook value of $ 880. That kind of resell value hasn’t happened in a long time. When it comes to secondary market prices the NPL was hit the hardest. Then the Portland Head. After the first reunion prices like $1200 were not uncommon. After about a year it locked into to a value of $750 and held it until the millennia.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6130722538&rd=1 4. Admirality Head $209.70
EDITION #1338/5500 and is made in Canada. This went high even for a Canadian. But there is something different about this Admirality Head that might have given it a high bid. A Canadian made with gray felt. There are not many of these. Probably a little over 200. Production number for the Canadian gray felt is somewhere from #1300 to #1500.
Remember don’t confuse this with the California version that had gray felt. As soon as the production switched to Canada the felt was changed to green. Then later on many of the early Canadians switched back to gray for a short while.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6128156845&rd=1 5. Fort Niagara #113 $194.70
Number 238. Seller states that it most likely is a California mold that was completed in Canada and comes with a brown Castle Studio box. But the picture shows a blue box. I will go one more step. The fact that it has heavy paints and a dark blue lens I feel that it is completely California except for the felt and box. Beautiful condition and well worth what the bidder bought it for. Don’t expect a Canadian sticker. The very early ones that were claimed by the Canadians and came in the brown Castle studios box didn’t have the sticker or at least I never saw one come with it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6129501447&rd=1 6. Sandy Hook #104 $188.75
The piece is numbered 5001/5500. And never displayed. Good-looking piece with original box. I think this is a fare price. For the pass year the bids have been between $150 and $200 for both Malaysian and Canadian. There doesn’t seem too much of a price difference for a Canadian. Maybe because there is as many Canadians as Malaysians.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6128185752&rd=1 7. Umpqua River, Or $179.70
Mint condition and made in Canada with a lighting rod. It is number 833. Don’t get me wrong. I feel that since this piece is so clean, that it is worth the above price. But usually for that kind of money I would expect a white Castle Studios box and a Canadian sticker.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6129498819&rd=1 8. ST. AUGUSTINE, FL- RETIRED - #138– $172.19
Comes in Original Box and is in like new condition. Has Low number of 180. Good chance it is made in Canada. If it were a Canadian made with a white box I would value it well over $500
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6129223635&rd=1 9. Matinicus Rock Maine # HL173 $164.70
Obvious this went high because of the low number of 14. Did I ever tell you about the Bodie Island #11 that went for $270.
Never, never underestimate the value of a low numbered collectable.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6128969393&rd=1 10. Admiralty Head #101 $150
Correct spelling with the number 2128 . No rod and made in Malaysia. This had all the signs of being the rare “P” version (Admiralpy). But its not. This number is only a couple of digits from my “P” version. I have always assumed that any correct spelled Admiralty Head with its number in the 2000’s would have the “P” instead of the “T”. I was wrong. My new theory about the “P” version has changed. The old theory was that there was a mold change on the replacement Admiralty Heads. These were the HL's that were used to fill a void for the earlier ones that were damaged and needed to be replaced. I always believed that all the replacement figurines had the "P"
My new theory is that the mistake was quickly caught and corrected. What this means is instead of there being around 15 to 20 of the “P” version there may only be two.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11132&item=6128584205&rd=1 d=1
